Locke and Gail Boyd have lived close to the tracks for more than a half-century.
Their home of 56 years is located on Hughes Road, west of New Hope, about a 1,000 feet north of where the railroad track owned by Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway crosses the two-lane road.
Most of the homes have pastures, which serve as a buffer between homes, providing quiet and privacy. Locke said he’s accustomed to the train whistles to the point where he doesn’t even notice them, so the railroad is not much of a distraction.
Until recently, that is.
Twice in a 10-day span — on the afternoon of Feb 27 and the morning of March 9 — cars have collided with trains at the crossing. On Feb. 27, a little after 3 p.m., a car occupied by four teens collided with a train, sending three to the hospital. On March 9, at approximately 7:15 a.m., a car with a single occupant collided with a train, also sending the driver to the hospital. None of the injuries were life-threatening and Locke Boyd said he doesn’t consider the crossing particularly dangerous.
“I don’t think it’s all that much trouble,” said Locke, 79. “I can remember maybe four wrecks the whole time I’ve been here, but all of them seem like they’ve been in the last few years.”
The crossing on Hughes Road does not feature a safety gate are warning signals. The only safety measures are the marked railroad crossing signs located at the crossing and “Train Ahead” signs located about a hundred feet from the crossing on each approaching side. Caution paint on either side also alerts the driver, and there are stop signs at the crossing.
Jace Ponder of the Mississippi Department of Transportation said the lack of a gate and flashing signal is not uncommon at rural railroad crossings.
“In my experience, you don’t see gates on county roads that often,'” Ponder said. “Usually, it’s a stop sign.”
That is not to say that rural crossings are never equipped with gates and signals, however.
“MDOT inspects crossings and makes recommendations for warning devices,” Ponder said. “To keep stakeholders involved, MDOT heads a diagnostic review team consisting of MDOT rail inspectors and engineers, railway owners, roadway owners and the Federal Highway Administration. The review team meets at the crossings and goes over factors including crossing geometry, vehicle traffic count, train traffic count, vehicle and train speeds, and number of school bus trips, among other factors.”
If the data indicates the need for gates and signals, Ponder said MDOT works with the railroad owner to secure federal funds to pay for the equipment.
“The way to think about it is that the railroad company is responsible for the equipment on the rail line and the road owner is responsible for anything installed on the roadway,” Ponder said.
Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway had not responded to requests for information as of press time.
According to data from the Federal Railroad Administration updated in May 2020, the crossing at Hughes Road does not appear to pose any unusual hazards.
The train traffic estimate is two trains per day, both between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Visibility is 90 degrees westbound (perpendicular to the road) and 60 degrees eastbound. Drivers can see a westbound train from several thousand feet and eastbound trains from probably a 1,000 feet.
The train speed limit is set at 49 mph.
Kimbler Sloab, director for Mississippi Operation Lifesaver, said by far the most common cause of car/train collisions is drivers miscalculating the speed of the train as they attempt to cross before the train arrives.
A train going 49 mph will cover the length of a football field in four seconds.
“Trains are faster and closer than they appear to be,” Sloan said. “Drivers just don’t realize how dangerous trying to beat the train can be. It’s just not a chance anyone should take.”
According to FRA figures, in 2020 there were 1,822 highway/railroad collisions with 783 fatalities. Of those, 34 collisions (three in Lowndes County) and five fatalities occurred in Mississippi.
Locke Boyd said he would like to see more safety equipment installed at the Hughes Road crossing.
“It’s bound to help,” he said.
But the bigger issue, he said, is the drivers.
“People just don’t pay attention,” Boyd said. “Every once in a while, you’ll have a high-baller come through here and you’re not getting in front of him. He’s moving on.
“You can’t argue with a train.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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